Appliance for use in practicing or playing games



Feb 25, 1936. H. c. DEANE ET AL r 2,032,081

APPLIANCE FOR USE IN PRACTICING OR PLAYING GAMES Filed May 12, 19:53

INVENTORS HARRY GUTHBERT DEANE JAMES HENRY NADEN mwwfi ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 25, 1936 APPLIANCE FOR USE IN PRACTICING OR PLAYING GADIES Harry Cuthbert Deane, Hendon, London, and James Henry Naden, Hampstead, London,

England Application May 12, 1933, Serial No. 670,646 In Great Britain April 1, 1933 11 Claims.

This invention relates to appliances for use in practicing or playing games. Several forms of golf practicing appliances are known and in one of these prior arrangements a golf ball was connected by a length of cord or the like to a length of rubber the latter being for the purpose of returning the ball to the player after the ball had been struck. This prior proposal is not, however, a satisfactory arrangement since there is a possibility on rebound of the ball of the latter striking the player.

One of the objects of the invention is to pro- .vide an appliance for use in practicing or play- .ing games in which a golf or equivalent ball is erence to the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of the invention for use as a golf practicing appliance; and

Figure 2 is a further form of the invention.

In Figure 1 the reference numeral 3 indicates a golf ball having a. staple 4 to which is attached a length of inelastic material 5 such as cord or string. The end of the inelastic material 5 remote from the ball 3 is adapted to be anchored to the ground for which purpose a stake or staple 6 is provided. The stake 6 has a piece or strip of leather or similar material 7 which is looped around the stake 6 the end of the cord 5 being threaded as shown through four holes disposed in the contacting ends of the leather strip 1. This arrangement provides a secure attachment for the end of the cord 5 whilst at the same time permitting the active length of the cord to be varied according to requirements. The elastic controlling device as shown comprises a length of elastic material 3 such as rubber connected to and extending transversely to the cord 5 and disposed intermediate the ball 3 and the anchored end of the cord. The ends of the elastic material 8 are anchored by means of stakes 9 each stake being provided with a piece or stripof leather or similar material ID. The free ends of the elastic material 8 are threaded through holes in the strips H] to enable the active length of elastic material 8 to be varied and to provide a secure connection between the ends of the elastic material and the stakes 9. The elastic material 8 is connected to the cord 5 by means of a device comprising a loop ll surrounding the elastic material 8 and another loop l2 arranged at right angles to the loop I l and surrounding the cord 5.

When using the appliance the flexible inelastic material or cord 5 is taut and lies along the ground and when the ball 3 is hit in the direction of the anchored end of the cord 5 some proportion of the inertia of the struck ball is dissipated in lifting the cord 5 and when the ball passes the point of connection of the cord 5 to the elastic material 8 the remaining inertia of the ball is expended in tensioning the elastic material 8 which serves to return the ball to its original position. It will be appreciated that the ball cannot be returned beyond the position determined by the effective length of the cord 5; thus assuming that the ball is hit from the position in which the cord 5 is taut as shown in Figure 1 the ball cannot return to a position beyond that from which it was hit thereby eliminating the possibility of the ball in its return striking the player. The position to which the ball is returned after being struck indicates whether the ball has been cleanly hit or whether it has been sliced, pulled or foozled. sociated with means for indicating the length of drive. For this purpose a strip of flexible material such as tape H may be arranged to lie beneath the cord 5 between elastic material 8 and the stake B. The tape l l is graduated as shown and a slidably arranged head or ball H is arranged on the cord 5. When the ball is struck the cord 5 is lifted and the bead ll travels along the cord to an extent depending on the force of drive.

Instead of staking the ends of the elastic material 8 and the end of the cord 5 these ends may be attached to weights to enable the appliance to be used where it is not possible to drive in stakes.

Instead of using stakes or weights as aforesaid the cord and the rubber strip 8 may be connected to a wooden frame or a frame made of other suitable material; such an arrangement is disclosed in Figure 2. The frame as shown comprises three arms l3, l4 and I 5. The

cord 5 is attached to the end of the arm I 5 at the point It and the length of rubber or the like 8 is connected between the two arms l3 and l 4 at the points l1 and I8 respectively. The cord 5 as shown lies along the length of the arm 15 If desired the appliance may be asto each other.

arms Hand 14 are pivoted on pins I3 and M so as to be'capable of being rotated relatively to ithe plates [9 so as to permit the two 'armsl3 and I4 to lie against'the arm l5 to enable the ,frame to occupy a minimum'amount of space when not required for iise and preferably to enable it to be packed in a golf bag; In the ex ample shown, the arm I5 is calibrated and the cord 5 is associated with a bead or ball ll for indicating the iength of drive. 7

Although the invention has been described 1. An appliance for practicing or playing games comprising a ball attached to one end of a length of cord, the other end of which is provided with means for anchoring it toa fixed point, a lengthof rubber connected to and arranged transversely to the said cord and intermediate the ends thereof and meansefor anchoring the ends of the said length of rubber.

2. An appliance for practicing or playing games as in claiml, wherein the ends of the length of rubber are connected to the means for anchoring the said ends through the medium of strips of material each strip having a plurality of apertures through which the-ends of said length of rubber are threaded.

3. An' appliance for practicing or playing games comprising a frame having three arm's, a ball attached to one end of a'length of inelastic material the other end of which is attached to one arm of the said frame, a length of elastic material connected to and 'eXtendi-ng'transverse- 1y of the said inelas'ticmaterial the ends of the elastic material being connected to the two other arms or" the frame. 7

4. An appliance for practicing or playing games as in claim 3, wherein the said arms are hingedly connected together to enable the frame to be collapsed. V 7

'5. An appliance for practicing or playing games comprising a ball attached to one end of a length of fiexible'inelastic material the other end of which in use is anchored to'a fixed point the three arms being arranged at relatively The arms [3,; I4, and 15' are; i mounted between a pair of plates l9 and the ends'of the inelastic material the elastic mim i ling device being tensioned when the" ball is struck and serves to ireturn the ball to, the play- 'er but not to a position'beyond that determined by the eitective'length' of; the inelastic material. 7

V 6. A golf practicing appliance comprising 1 a 7 golf ball attached at one end to a lengthl' of flexible inelastic material, means for anchoring the other end of the inelastic'mater-ial to a fixed point, an elastic controlling device attached to andiextending transversely of the inelastic naterial and intermediate the ends thereof, and means for anchoring the ends of the elastic controlling device, thearrangement being such that when the ball is struck the controlling device is tensioned, the energy imparted'to the said coni trolling device serving'to return the ball to the player but not to a position beyond; that deterj mined-by the eiiective length of inelastic "material. V V V '7. An appliance for :practicing 3501 playing games as in claim 5, whereiiithe elastic-controlling :device comprisesfa length of elastic material j extending i'transversely to the inelastic material and disp osed' intermediate the ends thereof the material: being connected together by means whichrpermi't the inelastic material to mov'e along t the length of elastic materiaL,

8; :Ai'g'olf practicing appliance as intclaim ;6, wherein the elastic controlling-device and themlength of the elasticimaterial and the inelastic' elastic materialiare connected together byade- 'vicecomprisingapair of loops ion'exof thesaid loops surrounding thesaid controlling device and the other the inelastic'material. c

, .9. 'Ajgo'if practicing appliance as in claim 6,

wherein means are provided for an'choring' purposes and; the members connected tof thefanchoring' means are provided with strips ofmaterial looped around the said anchoring means fwithi provided 'w'itli 'a member slidably m-ounted' thereon and a scale is provided in proximityto the said in'e'niber to indicate the apparent length of drive according to the positionoi the saidmem- V berrelatively to the saidlscale; c V

' HARRY 'CUTHBERT- JAMES HEiTRY f a 

